


No Holding Back

by crazygirlne



Category: Arrow (TV 2012), DC's Legends of Tomorrow (TV), The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: Alternate Universe - No Powers, Arranged Marriage AU, F/M, fandom mashup, married at first sight au
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-01-26
Updated: 2019-09-18
Packaged: 2019-10-16 23:34:01
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 16,139
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17553869
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/crazygirlne/pseuds/crazygirlne
Summary: Sara and Leonard both sign up forMarried at First Sightwith their own less-than-honest motivations. They each plan to just get through the time together, then move on after they've accomplished their goals. What happens when it turns out the experts have made a perfect match, and it's nearly impossible not to fall in love?





	1. Introductions

**Author's Note:**

> This is a Married at First Sight AU! For anyone who hasn’t seen the show or its previews, it’s basically just what it says in the title: couples meet at the altar and are married the first time they see each other. There’s a team of experts who spends time interviewing candidates and making sure they match them up with someone they might actually be a good fit with. The couple is married for 8 weeks, at which point they have to decide whether to stay together or to get a divorce.
> 
> I’m kinda mashing up the Arrow and Flash verses, which should include most of the S1 Legends, too. No powers, so Team Flash is basically a science-y group working with the CCPD. Team Arrow still exists pretty similarly to the show, but less dark and less death. Central and Star cities are very close geographically, almost spilling into each other. The rest of the world building/changes should, as usual, be easy enough to follow via the story.
> 
> Liberties with how reality shows work, because that’s how I roll.

 

“Do you want to stay married, or do you want to get a divorce?”

It was always going to come to this. That was the plan. One simple question that was supposed to have one simple answer. There wasn’t supposed to be any thought involved. Signing up for this damned “social experiment” was supposed to be a means to an end, nothing more.

It wasn’t supposed to be a way to fall in love.

~*~*~

**10 weeks earlier**

Sara’s relieved when the show contacts her to tell her they’ve found her a match. She was pretty sure she did well in all the interviews, making herself seem likable, with a good head on her shoulders and a tendency toward only minor drama, things that might be good for the preview reels, nothing that will derail the show. Still, it’s not a guarantee, not until she’s sitting in front of one of the experts, a camera trained on Sara’s face as Dr. Stein announces the news with a tone that indicates it should be a total surprise.

“Sara Lance, you are going to be married at first sight!”

“Oh, wow,” Sara says, making sure to act like she didn’t know what the call and the cameras could possibly mean. “I can’t believe it!”

Dr. Stein starts throwing information at her, everything she needs to know and do before her wedding, which will be in two weeks.

It’s a little overwhelming, honestly, and she’s used to dealing with a lot. She tells Lyla as much when she sees her a couple hours later.

“I’m already sick of the cameras,” Sara complains. “And the list of shit I need to deal with is crazy!”

Lyla glances at Sara, looking mildly amused, which is kind of a big deal, in Sara’s experience.

“Did you watch the show at all?” The Argus agent raises an eyebrow. “I did tell you to watch the show.”

“I watched it!” Sara crosses her arms. “Sort of. I at least had it on in the background while I did other things.”

Lyla shakes her head and looks back toward whatever she’s working on. “You didn’t watch it close enough, or you’d have known what to expect. It’s easier this season, even, since they’re only doing one couple. It means you don’t have to do the triple dates.”

Sara scowls, but the other woman ignores her, so she looks down at the list Stein gave her.

  * Rank your wedding preferences from the packages listed in the wedding binder. Your scores and your fiance’s will be combined, and the theme will be chosen accordingly.
  * Inform your immediate family and close friends. Inform your camera crew ahead of time so they can capture the moment.
  * Choose between one and four bridesmaids. Let us know within 24 hours so we can properly vet your choices before the wedding.
    * Bridesmaid dresses are included in the wedding package you and your fiance choose.
  * Once your choices are approved, choose a wedding dress. Wedding party and immediate family must be in attendance.
  * Choose a wedding band for your fiance. His ring size is in your informational packet.
  * Bachelorette party is mandatory, but you or a bridesmaid may choose location and activities.



She can’t even finish reading the list, instead folding it and staring at Lyla until the other woman looks her way.

“What?” asks Lyla.

Sara crosses her arms again. “I’m lying to my friends and family and to an entire reality show just so I can go undercover for something  _ you _ need me to do. I studied enough to get chosen for the show. The least you can do is show me a little sympathy, here.”

Lyla sighs. “You’re right. We can’t get to Vandal Savage unless you get to that gala, and as much as a pain as I’m sure this show is for you, it’s the cleanest, easiest way to get there.”

“Why does it have to be me again?” Sara’s not whining. Really. 

“You were the only person associated with Argus who was in the target demographic, with the appropriate skill set.” Lyla purses her lips. “Fine. What do you need me to do?”

Sara suppresses a smile as the perfect solution occurs to her. She won’t be able to back out, but she can get a little bit of revenge. “Be one of my bridesmaids?” she asks sweetly. “I’d like four of them, and I’ve only got Felicity, Thea, and Laurel.” This is perfect. Lyla will hate being a bridesmaid almost as much as Sara already hates being a bride, and if she’s played her cards right, Lyla’s going to feel like she has to agree.

The older woman scowls. “Fine.”

It’s petty, she knows, but Sara feels much better now that someone else will be miserable with her. 

“Thank you,” she gushes, and Lyla rolls her eyes. Maybe Sara isn’t fooling her at all, here. She always did think Lyla was smarter than her husband, and Diggle isn’t exactly a slouch.

“This means you stop complaining,” Lyla says, turning back to her deskwork again. “And remember,” she continues, tone switching to one of clear dismissal, “nobody outside this office can know that this is an assignment and not just something you want to do.”

It’s what Sara’s thinking about a few hours later while psyching herself up to tell everyone. She figures choosing all the wedding stuff will be easier with help, so she’s getting her friends on board first. It seemed easier to announce it all at once, so she got everyone she cares about or interacts with on a daily basis gathered together, and then she contacted her camera crew.

Obviously, she had to choose a neutral location, because even though everyone she associates with is either involved with or aware of Team Arrow and its activities, it wouldn’t exactly work to have a camera crew in their secret lair.

What the hell did Lyla get her into?

Honestly, having the other woman as a bridesmaid might actually be helpful and not just vindictive, since Lyla knows everything that’s going on and can help divert attention when needed.

Sara takes one last breath before going into the bowling alley. It’s not the coolest place to gather everyone, but it’s loud enough that it’s less awkward if everyone goes silent, yet it’s not loud enough that they have to shout, and this particular bowling alley doesn’t serve alcohol, so Sara’s dad and Laurel can let their guards down a bit.

“Hey, there she is.” Quentin sounds both loving and curious, and his expression is, surprisingly, the most open of everyone’s. Laurel is frowning. Thea and Oliver are both scowling at the cameras following along behind Sara. Felicity looks concerned, expression tight behind her glasses. Diggle looks vaguely annoyed, while Lyla looks perfectly, carefully neutral. “Want to tell us what’s going on, baby?”

_ May as well rip off the bandaid. _

“I signed up for a reality show, and I’m getting married.”

Silence. Everyone is staring at her in varying degrees of shock (even Lyla, who is apparently a good actress), and Sara’s pretty sure even some of the random people nearby have stopped what they’re doing to be silent in her direction.

Sara exhales. She’s been through worse, and it’ll probably get worse before it gets better.

“Laurel, you mentioned the show before,  _ Married at First Sight _ . I signed up, and they found me a match.”

That breaks the silence, but the cacophony of confused voices isn’t really an improvement. Sara holds up a hand, ignoring the cameras, one of which is moving in close to her, and the other of which has magically produced a tripod and is aimed at the assembled family and friends.

“One at a time,” she says.

Chaos again, of course. She crosses her arms and raises an eyebrow, and the group seems to come to a consensus that Laurel should be the one to speak. 

“I thought you hated even the idea of that show.”

It’s a fair statement from her sister, and accurate, even, but Sara shrugs. “I pretended to so you wouldn’t give me a hard time.”

Laurel purses her lips, glancing at the cameras before she visibly collects herself, shifting into non-threatening lawyer mode (which is always much scarier than her intimidating lawyer mode). “So you actually liked the show enough to sign up for it? How long have you wanted to get married? Last time we talked, you weren’t even interested in dating.”

Sara fights not to look annoyed, even though, again, her sister is right, and she can almost feel the agreement radiating off everyone else. She’s going to really have to sell this. “I’m still  _ not  _ interested in dating. Sleeping around is fine, but it’s not what I’m looking for anymore, hasn’t been for a while. And dating? Dating is a nightmare. Figuring out whether the person is right for you, figuring out whether to stay with someone you’ve invested time and emotions in once you figure out they’re  _ not _ the right person for you? It sucks, and it was only getting worse.” She finds her voice growing more passionate.

Maybe what she’s saying isn’t entirely bullshit.

“You all have people,” she says. “I know Tommy and Donna couldn’t make it tonight, and Roy’s still out of town, but all of you have someone. And I’m alone, and I have been since Nyssa, and I’m sick of it. I’m not gonna be with the wrong person just to have someone, but this way I have a chance at finding the right person and not being without a partner ever again.”

There’s silence again, but this time it feels a little more loaded rather than confused. She makes herself scan everyone’s faces, and for the most part, they all look like they’re contemplating her words, taking her seriously, and she shakes off a pang of guilt. This is important. She looks back to Laurel.

Laurel nods slowly, not seeming entirely convinced, but at least willing to accept it for now. “Alright. When’s the wedding?”

“It’s in two weeks.”

Chaos reigns again, and Sara takes another fortifying breath. This is going to be a long night.

~*~*~

Leonard Snart takes a fortifying breath. He’s not sure how his news is going to go over. 

It’s all their fault, really. If Team Flash, named such because of how quickly they solve the CCPD’s crimes, had been willing to focus on taking down Vandal Savage, Leonard wouldn’t have felt like he had to take things into his own hands. 

But no, Team Flash with their endless optimism and insistence on doing things  _ right _ wanted better proof than Leonard’s gut feeling before skewering a potential innocent. Leonard’s been playing (mostly) on the side of the good guys for a while now, but when he hears that Savage has sunk all of his resources into a very particular dagger that he’s planning to sell for a tidy profit, Leonard sees an irresistible opportunity.

He can do the right thing, whether Barry and crew agree with him or not, all while turning his own profit and itching his (mostly) neglected scratch to steal. It’s perfect.

All he had to do in order to make sure he’ll be in the right place at the right time is to sign up (and actually try to be chosen) for a reality show where he’ll be married to someone he’s never met. He’s never thought he was the marrying type, anyway, so he’s pretty sure he’s not going to have any emotional distress over getting divorced after a couple months of pretend-but-legal marriage.

As for whoever they pair him up with, well…

Alright, so there’s a little bit of guilt there. Team Flash has worn off on him enough that he feels a little bad about deceiving someone for that long when they’re probably an innocent. That said, he’s watched enough of the show with Lisa (he’s pretty sure he lasted fifteen whole minutes) that he’s certain whatever cute-but-sappy woman they choose for him will move on afterward with absolutely zero struggle.

So here he is, after being chosen for the show, plans already in motion for stealing the dagger at the event Savage is hosting for the finale, and the next step in keeping up the charade for 10 weeks is for him to tell his family and friends that he’s getting married.

His only living family is Lisa, of course. He’s not sure when he started thinking of Barry, Cisco, Harry, and Caitlin as friends, but they’re the people he spends the most time with, so he supposes it’s not as much of a shock as it should be. Mick is there, too, testing the uneasy truce between him and Team Flash. Everyone is standing around with various expressions of impatience and curiosity, with a little bit of worry from Lisa when she notices the cameraman behind him.

Leonard is pretty sure this is the first time he’s ever actually felt intimidated while in Star Labs. He can deal with the logistics of all this just fine, and he’s not worried about emotions involved with the others in the show, but this conversation is going to affect his life for a long time, one way or another. He’s planned this conversation aiming for minimal drama.

He clears his throat and pulls on his most deliberate, measured voice, the one he used to use when facing off against Barry. He lost track of how many corners he talked himself out of before Barry talked him into helping instead of evading.

“I’ve made an important decision,” he says, strolling toward the drawing board and straightening the markers while he speaks. “I don’t want anyone to argue with me. It’s a done deal, with contracts signed and everything.” He sees Mick eyeing the cameraman suspiciously, as if the barely competent man behind the camera could have possibly forced him into any deal he didn’t want. Leonard faces the group properly, ignoring the board and crossing his arms. “I’m getting married.”

He expects everyone to start talking over each other in surprise. It’s what he prepped for. Instead, Mick is now glaring properly at the cameraman. Barry, Caitlin, and Cisco are all looking at each other as if in search of a translation for what he’s just said. Harry has removed his glasses and is squeezing the bridge of his nose. That only leaves…

“Lenny.” Lisa’s eyes are sharp, and though she glances only briefly at the cameraman, Leonard has no doubt she has memorized everything about the man. Leonard taught her well. “You didn’t.”

She sounds something like resigned or exasperated, but no longer confused or concerned, and it draws Cisco’s attention.

“Someone wanna tell me  _ what _ is going on here?”

Lisa looks at Cisco, her expression softening ever-so-slightly in the way Leonard has noticed happening more frequently lately. “I’m pretty sure my dear brother went and signed up for a reality show where two people meet at the altar and get married.”

“Oh!” Cisco sounds almost triumphant in whatever conclusion he’s come to. “You mean  _ Married at First Sight _ ? I love that show!” Cisco quickly notices Barry and Caitlin, both looking at him amused, and clears his throat. “I mean, uh... I’ve heard of that. Wait, why in the world would Captain Cold sign up for that?”

“Wait.” Harry puts his glasses back on. “What is this show?”

Cisco’s eyes light up. “You didn’t have it on Earth-2, did you? Of course not, since your Earth is too good for our type of reality shows.” Cisco doesn’t acknowledge Harry’s glare. “It’s this show where they take these random people, and they match them up with someone they think they should be with, and they make them get married the first time they meet each other. I mean, they don’t even know each other’s names until they’re introduced at the altar! And it’s great because the marriage is legal and everything, so you can’t just duck out at the first sign of tension.”

Harry blinks once, deliberately. “And you watch this? On purpose?”

Caitlin speaks up before Cisco can defend himself. “Don’t act like you don’t watch worse things, Harry.”

“Caitlin…”

“Remember last week when I caught you?” Snow is grinning in a way that reminds Leonard that she really isn’t someone he should mess with. “You were watching–”

“Don’t you dare.” Harry’s voice is almost a pout, but it doesn’t stop Caitlin from finishing her sentence.

“– _ Say Yes to the Dress _ , and you’d been watching it for twelve episodes in a row.”

Harry is pinching the bridge of his nose again, and Cisco is cackling.

“I don’t know which of you is worse,” Lisa says, but she’s looking at Cisco fondly.

Leonard has got to get some control over this conversation  “As I said, this isn’t up for discussion.” The cameraman clears his throat and makes a gesture that tells Len he’s required to give them a little more. Fine. “I don’t hate the idea of a romantic partner, but I hate the idea of trying to find one.” It’s not entirely true, but it’s close enough that they should accept it. He loves figuring people out, learning what makes them tick. He’s just had some extraordinarily bad luck in choosing romantic partners in the past, despite the fact that he really wouldn’t hate having the right partner in his life.

Cue the pitying looks. It wasn’t his first choice, which would’ve been them all just accepting it and moving on, but it’s probably the best case scenario that was ever actually likely to happen. He can’t stand real pity, but this is pity for a situation that doesn’t even truly exist. He can handle that.

“You’re sure this is what you want, Lenny?” Lisa steps close, as close as they ever get, meeting his eyes with intensity that makes him want to shift uncomfortably. 

He forces the feeling away. This will be worth it, taking down Savage’s empire and making off with expensive goods all in one fell swoop. “Yes.”

It’s enough for Lisa, apparently, and once Lisa is satisfied, the rest of the group seems to accept his intentions, too. Before he knows it, everyone’s helping him go through his checklists, chiming in on things he didn’t realize they had opinions on. Barry quickly announces himself and Mick as co-best men, with Cisco and Harry rounding out his half of the wedding party. That leads to the four splitting up, Harry and Cisco discussing themes and music and clothing while Barry and Mick discuss the bachelor party, all while Lisa and Caitlin turn their attention to actually handling the investigative case of the week. Somehow, Leonard finds himself standing in the midst of it all, shaking his head.

He still feels like doing that almost two weeks later at his bachelor party. They’re at a bar he likes near Star City, one that has a decent regular bar area as well as private VIP rooms for parties. As they’re cutting through the main area toward their reserved room, Barry points out Oliver Queen, who looks to be caught up in a party of his own, though he’s the only one who’s facing Leonard’s group. 

There’s a distinct nod that Oliver gives him every time they meet, one that’s somehow a combination of greeting and threat, and this time is no different. He’s one of very few people who still knows about Leonard’s shadier past besides the people in Team Flash, and while he trusts Barry’s assurances that Oliver won’t pass on his secrets, Leonard will still never quite be comfortable with the man. He’s glad, then, when the party Oliver is with moves to the other side of the building, getting settled in the other VIP room where Leonard won’t have to watch or be watched.

He is supposed to enjoy his bachelor party, after all, in theory. 

And he does, once he relaxes. All of Team Flash is there, and so is Iris, whose company Leonard usually enjoys.

He’s good at getting under her skin, pushing her to dig just a little bit deeper, and it’s amazing to see what she can do when she’s really pissed off. She’s even aware that he does it, he found out the last time they got drinks together, and doesn’t actually mind, not once she cools down.

At this particular outing, there’s karaoke (Leonard doesn’t participate even though he can sing at least as well as anyone else there), and the drinks are good, and the night passes quickly. Before he knows it, he’s climbing out of bed the next morning to get ready for his wedding. There are cameras, of course. There always are, and he hates it already, but he can make it just two more months.

Leonard recognizes the wedding decor immediately upon reaching the venue. It’s the same color set he picked as his first choice, white with accents of deep and icy blues, a scheme that spoke to him despite his lack of interest in the wedding beyond as a means to an end. He pushes away an errant thought about what a shared preference in colors might mean for their relationship. It’s irrelevant.

He passes a mirror on his way to the room where he’ll actually get married, where his wedding party is sitting in the front row. Leonard looks good, he has to say, in a fitted suit that’s the darkest shade of blue he could find, one that looks black unless the light hits it just right, and his tie is the same icy blue that made it into the wedding. 

In the seats for the bride’s guests, he’s surprised to notice several vaguely familiar faces, though the only person he knows at all is Oliver Queen, of all people. The others are people he’s interacted with only peripherally when they team up with Oliver for an investigation, like Captain Lance and the blonde computer hacker who Oliver is very protective of.

Leonard shrugs off a sudden rush of nerves and takes his place at the altar to wait for the person he’ll be dealing with for the next eight weeks. If she knows Oliver, this could be either really good or really bad. Hopefully Oliver won’t make things too hard on him. If anything, the man looks amused.

When Oliver addresses the computer hacker who is apparently in the wedding party, Len only just manages to catch his words: “She is gonna eat him alive.”

Well. That’s… reassuring. At least he doesn’t have to worry about some breakable flower.

He looks toward Barry, who gives him a double thumbs up, looking far more excited than he had even the night before. Does Barry know the bride and approve?

Leonard doesn’t have enough time to properly contemplate that before the music starts, signalling the arrival of the woman in question. 

She’s gorgeous, and he’s definitely never met her before; he’d remember. Her dress is cut to fit her perfectly, with a high slit showing off toned legs. When she looks at him appraisingly, he sees that her eyes match his tie. When she gets to where nobody can see her except Leonard and the officiant, she checks him out deliberately, raising her eyebrows once she’s done, approving and asking a question at once, her lips twitching like she’s trying to withhold a smile.

It startles a chuckle out of him just as she reaches the altar. He’s used to being checked out, but something about the way this woman did it felt less invasive than it often feels. It’s like something about her is pulling him in already, and he’s surprised he doesn’t actually jump when the officiant speaks and breaks the moment. 

“Leonard, may I introduce you to your bride, Sara.”

There’s light and mischief in her eyes, and he’s suddenly one hundred percent certain he made a mistake. If he’d met Sara, this woman who’s about to become his wife, before he signed up for the show… If their connection was half what it feels like it could become after only a minute…

He’s nearly certain that if he knew Sara before he committed to marrying a stranger, he wouldn’t have done this, would have found a different way to reach his goals, because he would have wanted to pursue some sort of relationship with her.

The plan was to avoid any emotional attachment, and he’s pretty sure he already has a crush on his wife, who is looking at him like the cat who caught the canary.

Peachy.


	2. Wedding and Wedding Night

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sara and Len are conflicted, but it doesn’t stop them from getting carried away.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This fic is ridiculous and I hope you love it. I do.
> 
> This chapter gets quite adult.

When Sara catches her first glimpse of her groom, her initial thought is that he’s surprisingly handsome. Her second, right on its heels, is that he looks somber and thoughtful enough to be at a funeral rather than his own wedding.

For some reason, she’s struck with the irresistible urge to lighten his mood, and she’s stupid enough to go with her first instinct for how to do so:

She checks him out as obviously as she can.

It backfires in a way and actually affects her, because of course it does. His suit fits him perfectly. He’s not skinny, and he’s not overweight. He looks solid and real, and there’s a hint of hidden muscle in the way he holds himself, and his eyes are intense and way, way too pretty. He’s older than her, but in a way that makes her completely certain he knows exactly how to use his body to maximum effect.

Sara swallows as the errant thought strikes her. The whole over-the-top action seems to achieve her intended effect, though; he loosens up, and she just barely keeps herself from grinning in victory. He chuckles, surprised, just as she reaches the altar, the sound low and immediately sending warmth pooling through her abdomen. His eyes are fixed on hers, looking somehow both unsettled and intrigued.

She’s feeling a little unsettled herself as they’re introduced; “Leonard” is way too appealing for his own good. She wasn’t actually supposed to be attracted to the person they paired her up with. That complicates things, and it’s probably not good that things are already getting complicated when they’ve only just met.

It’s a physical attraction, though, she tells herself. She’s been attracted to people before, of course, and while she can’t recall quite so strong an initial reaction, it’s possible it’s happened. She’s an adult, and she can deal with it, one way or another.

Sara almost misses the officiant’s instructions as she tells herself that seeing whether he wants to hook up while they’re married is a horrible idea that will only complicate things further.

They take each other’s hands, the gesture too intimate for strangers. Sara focuses on the sensation for a moment, how cool and strong his hands feel, before she finally makes herself really pay attention to the officiant, Dr. Stein. As a bonus, it keeps her from looking at the groom, though she’s aware that he’s also looking at Stein.

“Sara’s family and friends would like you to know,” Stein is telling Leonard, “that she fights for the things she believes in, and she never gives up. She’s strong, and she’s fierce, and she _thinks_ she has a good sense of humor.” A chuckle runs through the crowd, and Sara levels a halfhearted glare at Thea, who never appreciates her jokes. Her friend waves, grinning, confirming her part in that comment. “They would also like you to know that she is stubborn, and you’ll be better off just accepting that she’s in charge.”

Sara can’t help but glance at Leonard. She can’t read his expression, though; he’s wearing a careful mask that she really wants to peel away. She looks back toward their officiant and expert.

“Leonard’s family and friends would like you to know,” he says, “that Leonard is smart, and he’s always at least three steps ahead of everyone around him, even with things that most people don’t bother planning. They would also like you to know that he pretends to be cold, but inside, he really just wants a hug.”

There’s a gruff guffaw from someone in the crowd, and Sara really looks at his side of the room for the first time. She’s shocked to see that several of the faces are at least passingly familiar, and that a large man is elbowing a sheepish looking Barry Allen.

_Wait, what?_

Sara looks back at Leonard, who has suddenly just gotten a lot more interesting. He meets her gaze with a raised eyebrow, almost a challenge, and Sara feels a smile tugging at her lips. It’s possible this entire experiment will be so much more interesting than she thought it would be. It’s also possible it will be a lot more challenging than she expected, since Barry is one of only a few people off Team Arrow who knows her shadier identity.

Either way, she decides, this isn’t going to be boring.

Before she knows it, Stein has reached the final vows:

“Do you, Sara, take Leonard to be your lawfully wedded husband?”

She swallows, but knowing they have people in common makes it easier to say “I do.”

“And do you, Leonard, take Sara to be your lawfully wedded wife?”

There’s only a beat of silence before his response, an “I do” in a voice that seriously should be illegal for what it does to her.

“Then I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride.”

Oh yeah. She forgot about that part.

There’s a hint of question in his eyes, and she knows what he’s asking. The safe route would definitely be to turn her head and offer her cheek for a kiss that’s purely symbolic. The even safer route would be to do like she saw some couples do in previous seasons and only shake his hand. Instead, Sara decides to play with fire; she tips her head back, just enough to make the invitation clear. He squeezes her hands as he closes the gap between them, and he presses his lips to hers.

_Shit, this was a bad idea._

Their instant chemistry, it turns out, definitely extends to kissing. His lips are firm but generous, just the tiniest bit cooler than hers, and it feels like a jolt of lightning as they make contact. It’s instinct to let go of his hands and link her own behind his neck, to lean closer to him when his hands drop to her waist. When her tongue darts out to tease at his mouth, he makes a sound she wishes she could taste, and the force of her desire is enough to remind her they have an audience. She breaks the kiss, gratified to see his pupils large with want, and his smirk just about finishes her off.

She is so screwed.

~*~*~

Captain Cold does not have a crush. That would be ridiculous. _Beyond_ ridiculous, since Sara’s his wife and also a means to an end.

Yet here he is, trying to play it cool while they pose for lovey-dovey wedding photos, each pose a little more preposterous than the last, all while trying to shake the memory of that scorching, too-brief kiss.

How is he supposed to forget how good it felt to kiss her when they’re supposed to be standing facing each other, with almost no space between them, his hands on her hips and hers on his shoulders, while they look into each other’s eyes adoringly?

“Okay,” says the photographer, Kendra, who looks vaguely familiar and seems amused by this whole thing, “closer now.”

Getting closer requires that their bodies press flush against each other. Leonard is glad he has at least some self-control. He’s also grateful for the intake of breath from Sara that tells him he isn’t alone in his attraction.

“Perfect. Okay, Leonard, lean down and whisper something in her ear.”

He fights a sigh, instead taking the opportunity to do as he’s instructed. “I’m pretty sure they’re trying to find the most awkward poses two strangers can possibly be put into.”

Sara chuckles, and Leonard hears the camera clicking furiously. His wife ( _wife_ ) tilts her head so she can whisper back: “I’m pretty sure they can do worse.”

Kendra doesn’t disappoint. The next thirty minutes include peeking out from behind trees, making hearts out of joined hands, and jumping up in the air at the same time.

Alright, so the last doesn’t actually happen since Leonard puts his foot down about it. Literally.

“Okay, last one,” Kendra says finally. Leonard feels relieved until she explains. “Nothing fancy, I just want you to stand like you were before with the whispering, only this time, I want you to kiss.”

This is not going to help him shake his attraction in the slightest.

Sara offers him a silent out, asking with her expression whether he’s okay with kissing her again for the photographer. His resignation must show (at least, he hopes it’s his resignation and not the desire he’s trying to smother), because she pulls him in for a kiss. His embrace is automatic, and this time, there isn’t an obnoxiously cheering audience to distract them. He’s not sure whether it’s the lack of audience (Kendra just doesn’t feel as intrusive) or whether it’s the fact that they’ve been in close proximity for almost an hour, but this kiss feels like it’s been building, like it has finally shaken off any and all restraint.

Leonard explores her mouth, his hands roaming her back, and Sara gives as good as she gets, pressing into him, and any of the self-control he’d previously congratulated himself on is definitely gone by time Kendra interrupts.

“I think we’ve got what we need.” She definitely sounds amused, and Leonard takes a breath before looking at her. She’s grinning at them, and he makes a distracted mental note to figure out why she seems familiar. “You two can take a few minutes to talk, and then you should come to the reception so everyone can eat.”

It’s only after Kendra disappears that Leonard realizes he and Sara are still pressed together. He clears his throat and steps back. Sara bites her lip, and it takes all his restraint not to kiss her again.

This is part of a mission, he reminds himself. This is not a hook-up, and it’s not a real relationship.

Still, he definitely needs a minute to collect himself. He takes a few steps over to the nearby stone building, leaning up against the wall for support. Sara comes and joins him, their silence surprisingly comfortable. He’s not usually good being around strangers without some sort of cover or role to play, and certainly not as close as they’ve been for the past hour, and he definitely forgot entirely about any roles during that kiss. He shouldn’t be comfortable like this, shouldn’t be able to picture the two of them relaxing after a long day, playing cards or sharing a drink or both.

He studies her for some hint of why she pulls him in so effectively. He knows she’s aware of it, despite the fact that she’s looking out at the field in front of them, but she lets him look.

Sara leans back against the building like she hasn’t got a care in the world. She doesn’t seem worried about getting anything on her dress. Yet, despite her casual appearance, when he looks closer, he can see the control in the way she holds herself. He can see the strength in her exposed arms. He can see the way the dress hugs tight abs, the way it exposes a muscular leg. His best guess is that she either has a physically demanding day job or she spends all her free time at the gym.

He’ll find out soon, he supposes.

Her eyes are sharp and bright, hinting at intelligence and wit and as much stubborness as her family promised.

He has definitely met his match in Sara…

Hell, he doesn’t even know her last name yet.

They definitely have a lot of talking to do, if he’s not going to stay as detached as initially planned, a course of action that currently feels impossible. Right now, though, they have somewhere to be.

He pushes himself off the wall and holds out an elbow, intentionally overdramatic in his formality. It pulls a grin from her, and she loops her arm through his.

“Time to mingle?” she asks.

“May as well get it over with.” He plays up the resigned tone, and she chuckles and shakes her head.

“Hey, at least the food smells good.”

~*~*~

It’s not until they’re sitting with food in front of them that Sara really thinks about the fact that Leonard doesn’t seem too enthusiastic about being here, for someone who signed up for this show. Still, it doesn’t seem like he dislikes her, and after all, she really can’t complain, not without being a hypocrite; she wouldn’t be here, either, if not for this being the best course of action.

They’re still not really getting a chance to talk, but she’s getting to learn about him, regardless. Their friends and family keep stopping by their table, and it turns out to be a wealth of information. Barry’s the first to come over, which really shouldn’t be too much of a shock. Sara smiles at him. She doesn’t know him as well as she could, but she considers him closer to friend than to acquaintance. Team Flash and Team Arrow work together on occasion, though it’s been a little while and she doesn’t know all of Team Flash’s current members.

“Congrats, you two,” Barry says, beaming, smiling even wider as Iris comes up beside him.

“Yeah, congratulations.” Iris has a look Sara recognizes, one that says, “I know something you don’t know, and it’s fantastic. I can’t wait for you to find out.”

It’s probably Iris’s most expressive look, and she’s aiming it at Sara and Leonard both. That means she knows something about Leonard, too, doesn’t it?

“How do you know Leonard?” Sara asks.

Barry’s eyes go wide as if he might have said something he shouldn’t have. Huh.

“Oh, uh…” Barry flounders.

His wife rescues him. “They work together,” Iris explains. “You know Barry’s the head of Team Flash, since he’s the only one who technically works for the CCPD. Leonard joined the team a while back, along with Mick, as a bit of muscle for the more dangerous cases.” The smile she gives Leonard seems genuine. “Your new husband helps keep my husband safe.”

Sara looks at Leonard, who looks flummoxed. Why would he be so surprised to hear her say that, if it’s true? Before she can ask, though, Barry and Iris move on, and a woman takes their place.

“So you’re my new sister.” The woman looks unimpressed, almost threatening, and Sara feels almost instant appreciation for the woman’s protectiveness.

“Lisa…” Leonard’s voice carries a hint of warning.

Lisa rolls her eyes and crosses her arms before looking back at Sara. “Look, Lenny raised me because our dad was too much of an ass to do it himself. He’s a good guy. Don’t hurt him.”

Her stomach twisting with guilt, Sara nods. “I’ll do my best,” she promises, talking to both Lisa and herself.

Lisa leaves, and there’s a moment of awkward silence, which Sara decides to break, teasingly: “Lenny?”

Leonard responds with almost a growl, too fond to sound threatening. “Nobody’s allowed to call me that besides my sister.” He looks at Sara then. She can’t tell whether he feels the electricity running between them. He opens his mouth, then closes it, then finally speaks: “You can call me Len, if you want.”

It suits him better than Leonard, she thinks, but she doesn’t get to think about it for very long before they’re greeted by more guests, Sara’s family this time, her dad and sister both basically behaving themselves, with only veiled threats and nothing overt. Leonard seems to handle it alright, relaxing as they speak rather than getting more tense. The cameramen are recording everything, but if they have any opinions about what they’re seeing, Sara can’t tell.

They’ve just finished eating when Oliver and Felicity finally approach. It’s a weird dynamic Sara has with them, what with her being Oliver’s ex and them all working together as vigilante types, but it’s one she’s gotten used to, and she’s worried about how Leonard will interpret it.

At least, she’s worried about his reaction until Oliver greets her new husband before he greets her.

“Snart.”

That must be Len’s last name. Good to know.

“Queen.” Leonard leans back in his seat with a relaxed smirk, crossing his arms in a way that Sara immediately knows is designed to get under Ollie’s skin. “Funny seeing you here.”

“Could say the same.” Oliver’s voice is laced with a tension Sara doesn’t understand, and Felicity’s puzzled look tells Sara that his fiancee doesn’t know what’s going on, either.

“Ollie.” Sara makes sure she hears the disapproval in her tone. She wants to know _why_ he’s acting this way, of course, but that can wait. In the meantime, the man she’s married under false pretenses doesn’t need to be treated like a criminal by her friends.

“Sorry,” Oliver mutters. Felicity murmurs her congratulations before the two of them move away. To be replaced by more guests, then more, until Sara’s wondering how the number of guests seems to have multiplied.

Stein speaks up then, getting everyone’s attention. “It’s now time for Leonard and Sara to share their first dance as husband and wife, after which they will retire for the evening.”

The pronouncement is followed, unsurprisingly, by numerous jeers and inappropriate comments. Sara ignores them, turning to Len instead.

“You wanna dance, Leonard?” she asks, nodding toward the dance floor. Len gives her a slow smile, so she stands and takes his hand, leading them over to the dancing area, ignoring the cameras and the laughing commentary from their guests. She laces her fingers together behind Len’s neck as the music starts, and he puts his hands at her waist, and it feels way too much like a middle school dance, especially when she realizes what song is playing.

“Savage Garden? Really?” she asks Laurel, who just grins at her.

Sara’s shaking her head when she looks back up at Leonard, who’s watching her intently, like he’s trying to figure her out. They start singing as the music surrounding them starts spouting lyrics about loving someone before you’ve even met them (and how silly is that?), and Sara can’t help but laugh.

“What?” Leonard asks.

“Just this all feels a bit too much like a school-sponsored dance, doesn’t it?” she says. “And this song is horrible.”

Len smirks and then pulls her closer. Sara goes along with it and rests her head against his chest, shaking with laughter. It makes things better and worse when he starts singing, low enough that she’s sure nobody else can hear him, but loud enough that she can tell his voice is actually pretty damned good.

“I know it might sound more than a little crazy but I believe…”

He stops at just the one line, mercifully, and she’s not sure whether she’d have ended up cackling or jumping him if he hadn’t.

She’s actually fairly relaxed for the rest of the song, comfortable in his embrace in a way she _really_ shouldn’t be. They give a unified unimpressed front when the song is over and their friends are teasing them mercilessly about the wedding night, and then they’re on their way to a cabin on the premises, just a short walk from the reception hall.

Sara makes it just inside the door before she finally gives in to the urge to cackle.

“There are rose petals leading the way to the bedroom,” she manages while pointing toward the floor. Len’s calm amusement somehow serving to stoke her humor further. She follows the petals, still laughing, shaking her head when she sees that the king-sized bed is covered in them, too. Sara turns to Len to…

She’s not actually sure what her plan was, because she catches sight of the cameraman behind him, and it sours the mood to be reminded that this is all fake, at least for her.

At least in theory.

The cameraman senses the abrupt shift in mood, at least. He gives a quick reminder that they should use their handheld camera to record at least one video diary each before bed and one each before they leave in the morning, and then he retreats quickly and professionally.

“So,” she says, clearing her throat and shifting, her dress suddenly pinching her side. “I guess we should get comfortable.” Her hands fly to her back when she remembers she needed help getting the dress on, which means…

“You need some help getting out of that?” Leonard’s voice is deep and much too appealing, almost dangerously so. She shouldn’t get physical with him, not any more than she already has. There’s too much potential there, too much possibility for way, way more than she bargained for.

She’s still reminding herself of this when she turns to face away from him, accepting his invitation, and by the time she feels his cool touch against her skin, she’s practically chanting it inside her head, just to keep from doing anything stupid.

~*~*~

_Don’t do anything stupid._

The silent order is on repeat inside his head as he sweeps her hair away from where it covers the highest of the dress’s buttons. Her skin is warm to the touch, and he wonders whether it’s the situation or whether she just tends to run a little hotter than he does. Somehow he suspects it’s the latter.

He’s using this woman, he reminds himself. He’s slept with marks before, but only as a last resort, and only after making sure they know not to expect anything from him afterward, which definitely wouldn’t be the case here. The cabin is silent save for shallow breaths as he undoes her dress, one button at a time, his fingers grazing skin only as often as is absolutely necessary.

Once it's undone enough that she's having to hold it up, he swallows hard and steps back, his fingers twitching as his hands drop to his sides. “I’ll let you change,” he says, internally cursing how rough his voice sounds. He spares a moment to make sure Sara’s bag is already in the room (they’ve got a pretty nice setup with this show, he has to admit) and grab his own before retreating, shutting the door behind him.

Leonard is being completely ridiculous. He doesn’t behave this way, doesn’t fall for a pretty face, doesn’t ache to hold someone just because there’s something in them that draws him in. He keeps his distance, keeps up his armor, doesn’t let himself care unless he has no other choice.

_What is she doing to me?_

He changes in the bathroom, slowly and methodically, giving himself some time to cool down in the process, to stop thinking about the muscles that were at play in her back as she moved to hold her dress. Once he’s changed into long-sleeved loungewear, he takes one last deep breath and exits the bathroom, leaving his bag there. It’s better if they plan to change separately while they’re here, anyway, and he doesn’t mind letting Sara take the bedroom.

The bedroom door is open when he walks by, but the room itself is empty. He finds Sara in the kitchen, holding two drinks. She offers him one, and he accepts, trying to ignore the fact that the silence is only awkward because of the tension they’re pretending isn’t there.

After a minute, Sara speaks. “There’s a nice big bench on the back porch. Wanna go sit?”

“After you,” he answers, gesturing. He follows her out to the porch, the screen door swinging shut behind them, and then joins her on the bench.

He figures sitting right next to her is safer than remaining standing, because this way it’s not as easy to watch her. It works alright until she starts talking, something in her voice making it impossible not to look at her.

“Is all this as weird for you?” she asks. “I mean, I know we signed up for it, but I didn’t expect it all to be so…”

“Overwhelming?” he supplies, and she nods before taking a sip of her drink.

“Maybe it’d be less weird if we knew each other?” she asks, pulling her knees up so her feet are resting on the bench. She has to twist a little to do so, and she’s leaning back against his shoulder slightly as a result. “I mean, I know your last name now, but that’s about it.”

“Where do you want to start?” he asks. Maybe getting to know her better will remind him of why he should keep his distance.

“What were you hoping for in a spouse?”

Judging by the way she tenses up after asking the question, he’s not sure it’s what she meant to ask.

He surprises himself by thinking for a few moments so he can answer honestly. “I wanted someone who could keep up with me. Someone I don’t have to worry about, even though Lisa tells me I worry too much, anyway. Someone who doesn’t mind if my past is a bit checkered.”

Sara relaxes as he speaks. Apparently, none of that bothers her, which is good. “No physical qualities you were looking for in a wife?” she asks, sounding idly curious rather than like she’s fishing for a compliment.

“Or husband,” he says, needing to get that out of the way before it can become an issue, holding his breath while he waits for her to react with disbelief or disgust or any of the other reactions he’s seen far too frequently when people find out he’s anything other than straight.

Instead, she looks at him over her shoulder, expression matching that same idly curious tone. “Bi?”

“Pan,” he says, almost agreement.

“Cool,” she says, turning away again. “I’m bi.” It’s the first time he catches himself thinking that Sara could be dangerously perfect. “So, what did you want in a spouse physically?”

“I don’t really have a physical type,” he answers. “I get attracted to people’s essence, for lack of a better word. Their energy.”

“I like hot people,” she responds, light, pulling a chuckle from him.

“Do I pass?” he asks, already knowing the answer.

“I guess,” she says, and it’s almost a purr, and shit, as much as he hates to say it, he feels like they need to put it out there.

“Sleeping together is probably a bad idea,” he says before immediately kicking himself. They’re married, and he should’ve picked better wording. “I mean, we should probably get to know each other, not do anything out of character just because we’re married.”

“Yes, totally.” Her words are a rush of relief, and he wonders whether she was already thinking the same thing and just hadn’t said it. But then she puts her feet down so she can turn to face him more easily. “Besides, that kiss wasn’t really as good as I remember, right?” She bites her lip for the briefest instant, drawing his attention there before he forces it back to her eyes.

“Probably not.” Lying is the only way he sees out of this situation, but somehow his tone doesn’t agree with his words, and it comes out almost as an invitation. His eyes drop to her lips again, then to the mixed emotions in her eyes. Her reluctance feels like his, though, like it’s because of what they _should_ do (or shouldn’t) rather than actual reluctance, and she sways toward him. He sets down his nearly untouched drink and eyes hers, which is also close to full.

He’s about to do something very stupid, he knows, but in the moment, he wants it more than anything. More than keeping his distance, more than keeping his guard up, more than enough to overwhelm his desire to protect a stranger from theoretical harm if she wants this as badly as he does. Len takes her drink and sets it down next to his before studying her intently, giving her another chance to back down.

“There’s one way to find out.” The challenge gets her attention immediately; she’s kissing him before he can even react to her movement.

It takes him only a second before he responds, deepening the kiss and wrapping his arms around her, feeling her strength through a t-shirt that’s much thinner than it looked. She pulls back for a moment, searching his eyes like she’s looking for a sign, then kisses him again, even more eagerly this time, sliding a leg over his so she’s almost in his lap.

The angle can’t be comfortable for her, but it feels like everywhere she’s touching is lighting up with pleasure and he doesn’t want to break contact. Instead, he slides his hands downward, reaching until he finds her ass, and tugs until she’s strandling him, properly in his lap once he scoots far enough forward to make space for her knees. She hums in approval and grinds against him, making him gasp, her tongue plunging into his mouth, and this is definitely moving too fast.

_It’s not moving fast enough._

He presses back up against her and she moans before breaking the kiss, holding herself just a hair’s breadth from his lips as she speaks.

“There’s nothing wrong with hooking up first and getting to know each other later, right?” she asks. “I’ve done that before, so it’s not even out of character.”

Len hasn’t (he’s had hookups, and he’s had relationships, but he’s always been too disciplined to mix the two), but that doesn’t stop him from agreeing with the sentiment. “Nothing wrong with that.”

“Good,” she says before kissing him hard and shifting her weight, kissing and working her way downward until her intent is clear. She pauses for a moment with her hand on the tie for his pants, waiting for an okay, and when he nods, she grins, a smile that’s going to do him in, he’s sure of it. She makes quick work of undoing his pants and sliding them and his boxers down far enough to be out of the way, and then she’s grasping him. He was already more than half hard from just the making out, and under her touch he quickly grows harder, and when she takes his erection into her mouth, it’s all he can do not to finish right then.

“Shit, Sara.” He groans at her satisfied hum, and then all thought leaves his mind as she starts working him in earnest, using mouth and hands in concert until it’s almost too much. He taps her shoulder to let her know he’s about to come, but she just works harder, and only seconds later he’s seeing stars.

It takes him a minute or two before he can open his eyes, still trying to catch his breath. He looks from the sky with its actual stars down to Sara, who’s smiling impishly, looking quite pleased with herself. It makes him want to laugh, and in his relaxed state, he does, taking another minute to collect himself before he stands, pulling up his clothes enough so that he won’t trip and picking up Sara in the same motion. She squeals in delight as he carries her toward the bedroom, until he quiets her with a kiss. He sets her down on the bed, then just as she had earlier, he makes his intentions perfectly obvious, slow and deliberate, both so she can stop him if she changes her mind and because he has a feeling it will get under her skin in the best way.

He kisses her neck before pulling her forward far enough to take off her shirt. He doesn’t bother taking off her sports bra, but he does tease one nipple through the fabric until she’s arching up into his touch. He moves lower, kissing her stomach, sliding her thin, cotton shorts down out of the way and her underwear with them. He pauses just long enough to make her squirm before he moves in, starting slow, avoiding the areas he guesses are her most sensitive, waiting until she’s nearly writhing under his touch before he plunges two fingers inside her and sucks at her clit.

“Oh, fuck,” she says, arching beautifully under him as her fingers clench around him, and it’s enough to make him hard again.

Not that he plans to do anything about that tonight, but the fact remains that she’s absolutely gorgeous, and completely stunning in orgasm.

When she finally relaxes, he pulls his fingers out of her gently, looking for something to clean up with. Sara doesn’t even open her eyes before offering her shorts for the job, leaving behind silky underwear he hadn’t gotten to see before. He swallows and cleans them both up, the job quicker than it might’ve been with other activities. Sara gets comfortable under the covers while Leonard gets his own clothes back in order, her breath still coming heavier than usual.

Leonard hesitates for a moment before joining her under the covers. They’re not touching, but he’s very aware of her, and her “Goodnight, Leonard” is almost in his ear. Long after Sara’s breathing evens out with sleep, Leonard stares at the ceiling wondering what the hell they just did.

He also wonders when they can do it again.


	3. Honeymoon

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay. Hi. Concussion and life and other health issues and then fatigue and lack of motivation from all the health issues and anxiety and depression mixed in just for fun… It’s been a while. It might be a while again. But I’m still here, still reading and appreciating the hell out of comments, still loving and thinking about Sara and Len. I’m rusty and I’m tired and this chapter is probably a mess, but it’s had a lot of love and effort put into it.
> 
> Mind the rating. NSFW at the end.
> 
> Chapter TW: discussion of past abuse.

 

_ They’re not touching, but he’s very aware of her, and her “Goodnight, Leonard” is almost in his ear. Long after Sara’s breathing evens out with sleep, Leonard stares at the ceiling wondering what the hell they just did. _

_ He also wonders when they can do it again. _

Leonard remembers the cameras before he can actually fall asleep. The requirement for a video diary is asinine at best, but maybe recording his thoughts will help him get some shut eye. He gets out of bed, shutting the door carefully behind him before taking the handheld camera to the tiny living room and sitting on the love seat. He switches on night mode, points it at himself, and hits record.

Not quite as ready as he thought, Leonard sighs and runs a hand across his hair, glancing toward the door to make sure Sara hasn't appeared, then finally starts talking to the damned electronic device.

“Sara and I..." He's not planning to kiss and tell, not even to a camera. “Things are going well. I didn't expect that. I didn't think I'd actually be matched with someone who seems…” He shakes his head. “This is stupid," he mutters, turning off the camera and setting it down before heading back to bed.

~*~*~

When Sara wakes in the morning, Len is sleeping fitfully. She gets up as quietly as she can, which is pretty damned quiet, and makes her way out to the living room, where she immediately sees the camera she was supposed to use the night before, before she and Len got… sidetracked.

She makes a face before making sure her shirt is in place, then sits and turns on the camera, tucking her legs under her and making sure to keep the recording device aimed at her face. 

“So I'm supposed to say what I'm thinking, right?" She purses her lips. " I'm not sure how that's different from when I'm talking to the other cameras.” She sighs. “Len seems cool. I mean, I don't really know him yet, but..." She looks toward the bedroom, then back to the camera in her hand. “I feel like he's the type of person I would've run away from, if I met him on my own, because things could work between us.” She blinks, remembering she's not supposed to sound quite so much like she's anti-relationship. Bad at them, sure, but not opposed to them. Sara forces a smile. “I'm glad I met him on the show, so I can get to know him without that easy way out.”

It's a good save, she thinks, and she shuts off the camera before she can make any more mistakes. As she’s putting it down, she hears movement from the bedroom.

Sara turns on the couch so she can face the bedroom and watches as Leonard emerges. His hair is too short for bed head, but his clothing is rumpled in a way that always makes Sara want to climb back in bed with him. She studies him for a moment, realizing she hardly saw any of him unclothed the night before, despite their activities, and by the time she’s satisfied, he’s watching her with crossed arms and a smirk.

“See something you like?” he asks, voice dripping with suggestion, but he shakes his head before she can respond in kind. “We probably shouldn’t do that again until we decide whether we’re staying together,” he says.

“Shouldn’t flirt?” Sara plays coy for a few seconds before sighing. He’s probably right, for the same reason she was hesitant yesterday before getting caught up in his magnetic pull. They’re not going to stay together, not after this “experiment” is over, and regular orgasms are only going to make them get more attached to each other.

It’s already shitty that she’s using him this way. She doesn’t need to make it any harder on him.

“You’re right,” she says. “We should probably say we haven’t had sex yet so we don’t have to say why we stopped. You know they’re gonna ask, the cameramen and our friends.” Sara shakes her head. “It’s so weird that we have people in common. I mean, what are the odds?”

Instead of dismissing her question as rhetorical, Leonard watches her thoughtfully, leaning against the doorframe, arms still crossed. “We didn’t quite finish introductions at the reception, especially with the cameras rolling, but I know Detective Lance has mentioned a daughter on Team Arrow. Would that be you?”

Sara purses her lips before forcing herself to relax. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she says lightly. She thinks admitting her role to someone who is only in her life for two months is probably a bad idea, but for some reason, she okay with it if he makes his own conclusions that may or may not happen to be correct.

Leonard makes a sound that’s almost a snort. “Alright, you don’t know what I’m talking about.” His half smile and the glint in his eyes say he doesn’t believe her for a second. “Hypothetically, then, I suspect there are some overlapping characteristics in people who are willing to work with vigilantes, whether or not they admit that on national television.”

She adopts a thoughtful expression. “That’s probably true.”

On the inside, though, she’s not nearly so calm, because she has this ridiculous impulse to tell him everything, including the mission for Argus, and she doesn’t even know him. Sara Lance doesn’t do things like trusting people immediately. 

Before she can examine her impulse further, there’s a knock on the door. Leonard stiffens at the sound, a wall coming up almost visibly, and Sara looks down at her legs.

“I should probably find some shorts or something,” she says, standing and moving toward the bedroom. Leonard shifts so she can get in, and Sara’s gratified despite herself when she catches him taking in her exposed legs for a moment. “You can deal with the cameramen or whoever’s at the door.”

It looks like Leonard considers arguing, but instead he closes the door, and Sarah hears voices a few seconds later. She grabs a pair of yoga shorts, yanking them up when she recognizes one of the voices as her dad’s.

~*~*~

Leonard doesn’t really want to answer the door. He’s enjoying talking with Sara, as dangerous as it feels, and he doesn’t care for the inevitable reminder that this is all fake on multiple levels. He opens the door, expecting one of the cameramen from yesterday.

The cameraman is there, but so are Mick and Lisa, as well as Quentin and Laurel, both of whom Leonard spoke to very briefly and uneventfully during the reception. They’re all carrying prettily-packaged baked goods.

“Good morning.” Detective Lance’s cheer seems a little forced, but Leonard appreciates the effort anyway.

Laurel speaks next, seeming more amused than the situation warrants. “You didn’t watch this show any more than Sara did, did you?” Leonard opens and closes his mouth, not sure how to answer that. His temporary sister-in-law takes pity on him. “They like the newlyweds to have breakfast with their families before leaving for the honeymoon.”

That does sound familiar, actually. Leonard could kick himself for how badly prepared he is for this. However, he didn’t expect it to be that hard, and most of his prep work was focused on the end goal. 

Sloppy.

He’s used to shit going off the rails, but usually it’s not his own damned fault. He takes a breath, using it to fuel what he knows is a convincing enough smile for the cameras and for--

Shit. Detective Lance is his  _ father-in-law. _

Leonard knows the other man just well enough that he’s not sure how well this will go, not well enough to make conversation easier or make any sort of acceptance a given.

The cameraman sighs when they all go silent. “It’d be best if everyone moved to the table. Put down the food so I can get a shot of it, then sit, and at least be the kind of awkward that works well for the cameras.”

Leonard bristles despite himself at the man’s tone, and he feels oddly gratified when he sees Laurel’s spine stiffen and a dangerous smile grace her face, a contrast to Quentin’s sudden scowl. Mick makes a sound that’s somewhere between a grunt and a laugh. Lisa’s smile is calculated and only  _ seems _ harmless. After exchanging looks all around, everyone moves to the table without saying anything else, and they set down their bundles and stand around stiffly. The cameraman grumbles while taking his required video of the newly-set table.

Sara emerges from the bedroom as the cameraman starts setting up his tripod near the table. She looks around at their families standing around grumpily, and Leonard shouldn’t be able to read her so well yet, but he swears she is torn between exasperation and amusement before she decides to go with a grin.

Something about it is infectious, and Leonard feels some of his ire, with himself and with the situation, drain away.

Sara hugs her family, and then they all sit at the rectangular table, Sara and Leonard on one side, Laurel and Quentin on the other, and Mick and Lisa taking the ends. Mick immediately grabs a muffin and some sort of pastry. It breaks some of the tension, and there’s quiet, meaningless chatter as everyone gets their own breakfast. 

It’s pretty good food, actually, and Leonard’s only complaint is that there’s only one of each thing. When Sara decides she wants to try one of the muffins Leonard grabbed, something with chocolate in the center and coconut on top, she reaches over and breaks a piece off like it’s nothing. Leonard doesn’t even recognize his lack of annoyance at the action until Mick chuckles.

“Sex must be pretty good if you’re willing to share your food already, boss.”

Leonard shoots Mick a glare, but the other man just looks pleased with himself.

Laurel is the next to speak. “They just met yesterday. I’m sure they haven’t had any sex yet, good or otherwise.”

Leonard is ready to glare at Laurel, too, good impressions be damned, until he catches Sara’s relieved look. Laurel must have been trying to spare her a sex talk in front of their dad, and she wasn’t just being judgemental.

Not that Leonard would normally have gotten so physical on the first night of a relationship, but that’s not the point.

“Detective Lance,” Leonard says, deciding to take control of the situation, “did you ever catch that copycat vigilante?”

He knows full well that Team Arrow and the SPD caught the guy, but he also knows that Detective Lance played a big role in the capture and even got a commendation for it. Lisa is unusually quiet at her end of the table, watching everything rather than getting involved.

Lance straightens, looking a little more pleased than he has the rest of the morning. 

Or maybe he’s just relieved at the subject change.

Regardless, the detective’s voice is surprisingly appreciative when he speaks. “Yeah, about a week after Team Flash gave us that info we needed.” He’s clearly used to talking without giving away anything about Team Arrow. “And you should probably call me Quentin,” he adds. “‘Detective’ might be a bit formal since you’re my son-in-law now.”

There’s some of the bemused exasperation the Leonard’s more used to seeing on the man.

“Quentin,” Leonard echoes with a nod, and he only just manages not to visibly startle when Sara reaches over and sets a warm, grateful hand on his thigh for a moment before she goes back to eating. He does turn to look at her for a few seconds longer than he has to, and then he forces his attention back to the conversation, which has moved on.

“So,” Laurel is asking, leaning forward, “where are they sending you on your honeymoon?”

“They haven’t told us yet,” Sara answers easily.

Laurel looks disbelievingly at Sara, then moved her attention to Leonard, who shrugs uneasily. His sister-in-law sighs, long-suffering. “I am seriously the only person here who’s actually watched this show, aren’t I?”

Mick reaches out and spins one of the baskets toward Sara and Leonard. Len sees there’s an envelope taped to the front. Mick grabs another pastry and starts eating, talking around a mouthful. “It’ll tell you where you’re going in there.”

Mick’s chewing slows as he realizes everyone’s staring at him. “What?” he asks. “Checked out the show cause I wanted to see what the boss got us into. Wasn’t so bad. Ended up watching the whole thing.”

Laurel is raising an eyebrow. “You mean like you watched a whole season?”

Mick shakes his head. “I mean like I watched all the seasons.”

“In two weeks?” It’s Len’s turn to sound disbelieving.

Mick shrugs. “Like I said, wasn’t so bad.” He swallows. “You gonna see where you’re going or what?”

Laurel’s lips twitch, and she looks almost admiring. Leonard looks at Sara, then gestures for her to take the envelope.

“You don’t want the honors?” she asks.

“You go right ahead,” he offers.

“Suit yourself.” Shrugging a shoulder, Sara takes the envelope from the basket and opens it, shifting so Leonard can read with her as she scans the card inside. 

_ Love will keep you together _ __   
_ Enjoy a romantic honeymoon at this Carribean resort _ _   
_ __ Experience once-in-a-lifetime thrills as you embark on your new life together

With it is a brochure for a resort that looks ridiculously fancy, and Leonard fights hard not to sigh.

An island resort, where he’ll be expected to wear bathing suits and look like he enjoys the sun. Peachy.

Sara speaks before he can. “I bet this place costs more than three months’ rent.”

Quentin is the first to respond. “Least the show pays for the trip. Right?” The last is directed over Leonard’s shoulder.

The cameraman, whom Len has almost forgotten about entirely--he really is off his game--just sighs at the question. Honestly, Leonard almost feels a little bad for the guy.

Laurel glares at everyone except Mick. “Aren’t the show and the resort so  _ kind _ to be setting you two up on such a great honeymoon? What activities do they have available?”

The rest of the breakfast is spent going through the brochure and talking about the different activities. The poor cameraman finally gets to relax, and it all goes surprisingly well. They wrap up, with strict orders for Sara and Leonard to be ready for the car to the airport in an hour. Lisa pulls Leonard aside as everyone else says their goodbyes. The concern in her eyes is obvious.

Len tries his best to be patient. “I already told you this is what I want.”

His sister looks unimpressed. “That was before you met her.”

“Lisa--”

“That was before you were getting married to Sara Lance,” Lisa interrupts. “This is way more complicated than you thought it’d be, Lenny. Admit it.”

“Isn’t knowing mine and my wife’s family and friends get along enough to work together a good thing?” Leonard refuses to admit she’s right; she doesn’t even know the half of it.

Lisa looks around to ensure their continued privacy, and she drops her voice to almost a whisper. “I’ve never seen you hooked on someone so fast. Maybe the Flash, but that’s when there was still mystery and you had that whole frenemies thing going on--and don’t you smirk at me, I’m allowed to keep up with slang and that word isn’t even new.” She sighs and almost visibly deflates, and Leonard follows suit. “I just don’t want to see you get hurt. I know it’s a marriage, but you know marriage doesn’t come with guarantees. Especially not out of a reality show.”

“I’ll be okay, Lisa.”

If he were a different man, he’d give his sister a warm hug before she left.

If he were a different man, though, he wouldn’t be here in the first place.

~*~*~

Sara looks away from the airplane window and toward Leonard. He’s been quiet since their families left, all through packing and travel, and now they’ve landed and are waiting to get off the airplane.

“If the show’s gonna spend all sorts of money on us, anyway, the least they could’ve done is paid for first class so we’d get out of here sooner,” she jokes. Len makes an expression she thinks is supposed to be a smile. “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine.” He looks toward the front of the plane at the backs of the people who are crowding each other in the aisle. 

Part of Sara hopes that her new husband stays this withdrawn for the rest of their brief marriage. It’ll make things easier for her if the last 24 hours or so was a fluke, if he isn’t actually someone who appeals to her a ridiculous amount, if he doesn’t just need a break right now and is usually curt and unengaged.

He remains quiet while they leave the plane, collect their baggage, and take the provided shuttle to the resort. When they get to their room, it feels like the first time he’s really looked at her for hours.

Leonard meets her eyes with a smirk as the resort employee explains all the over the top luxuries to them.

Alright, so the information on how to work the overly-complicated jet tub is a little appreciated, but she  _ really _ doesn’t think they needed the rose-covered bed ( _ again _ ) pointed out to them. They could’ve figured that out themselves.

She flushes remembering the last time they were in bed together, and Leonard quirks an eyebrow at her, because of course he knows what she’s thinking.

Sara shakes her head, trying to clear it of inappropriate thoughts as well as trying to let go of any disappointment that her Leonard--holy shit how is he  _ her _ Leonard already--is back instead of the tense person she’s been traveling with.

It really would make it so much easier if she didn’t like him.

Despite the tour of the bedroom suite, they’re alone again pretty quickly. Something in her unwinds while another part of her tenses in anticipation, and Sara searches the room for something to distract herself.

There is a veritable bouquet of brochures on the bedside table. She snags the lot of them and lies down stomach-first on the bed.

“We’ve got four days and five nights here,” she says without looking at Len. “What do we want to do?” She starts leafing through the pile. When Leonard situates himself next to her on the bed, she makes a note to discard any of the brochures that promise particularly intimate activities. 

She definitely needs to work on her self control when it comes to Leonard Snart.

He mirrors her pose and leans in so he can see what she’s looking at. He says nothing about the options she sets aside, but he does chime in once she’s gotten it narrowed down to activities that seem relatively safe.

“No cliff jumping. I’m not sure about ziplining. Seems a little too trendy.”

Sara grins. “We should probably get rid of this electric off-road vehicle tour, then.” 

When they finish getting rid of the ones they have no interest in, they’re left with four options. Leonard doesn’t seem thrilled about the ziplining, and Sara doesn’t love the swimming with sharks day, but they’re unlikely to come to any actual harm in either activity, and she’s unlikely to lose control and climb on Leornard--again--since none of the activities are particularly intimate.

She holds up the winning brochures in triumph, and Leonard’s returning grin is downright dangerous.

~*~*~

Swimming with the sharks isn’t something Leonard would normally choose. However, the brochure promised full body wetsuits, and sharks aren’t exactly a libido enhancer for him. It seems safe enough, especially after they made it through the night sharing a bed with neither of them losing control.

He failed to take into account that they wear swimsuits under their wetsuits. His mouth goes dry at the sight of Sara Lance in a bright red bikini, exposed as they change into the provided wetsuits. The swimsuit isn’t even all that revealing, but it fits her perfectly, accentuating her curves and exposing lean muscle along her arms, abs, and legs.

Leonard clears his throat before turning away from her and taking off his shirt. He can feel her eyes on him, and it’s not helping him cool down, not even when he knows she’s taking note of his scars. He pulls on his wetsuit quickly, then turns to see that she’s done the same.

It doesn’t help as much as he was hoping. She’s still utterly gorgeous, and his memory is good enough to fill in all the details hidden by the skintight suit.

Luckily, the tour guide gets their attention then, and the next several hours are spent with training and activities, including the actual swimming. It’s a little overwhelming, but he isn’t bored, not with Sara.

Their conversation is easy, and it’s nearly impossible to remember that she’s a stranger, closer to a mark than a confidant. 

He hopes the next day is easier, but he has a bad feeling about it.

~*~*~

As soon as they get to the zipline place, Leonard clams up again. He puts up a wall and resorts to one or two word answers to direct questions. Sara isn’t sure what’s going on until it’s their turn.

It’s a tandem zipline, so they’re going down at the same time. Leonard is tense and moving without his normal grace as they’re hooked up with the harnesses and given their safety briefing. Just before they’re airborne, she registers that he’s carefully regulating his breathing, deliberate and even.

It’s when they’re leaving the platform, held high in the air by what amounts to rope and pulleys, that it clicks, because she does the same thing in a stressful situation: he’s scared.

_ And  _ he’s in front, something about weight distribution, so whether it’s the heights or the activity, he’s getting the full brunt of whatever part of this scares him. Sara hesitates for only a fraction of a second before she reaches forward and wraps her arms around him as far as she can reach with equipment in the way.

She can’t hear his exhale over the wind, but she feels it in under her hands. He’s holding tight to his grips, but he ducks his head as if relaxing as best he can. When they get to the bottom and get unhooked, he’s still tense and stiff, but he’s looking at her with some hybrid of consternation and gratitude and she doesn’t even think about it before she’s kissing him.

He still has part of their harness in one hand, but he wraps the other around her immediately, and she can feel the tension drain out of him, replaced by much-too-appealing  _ want _ , and that’s enough to snap Sara out of it.

She breaks the kiss, and he loosens his grip, but they don’t separate for several more seconds, and the loose embrace almost feels more intimate than the kiss.

Of course, when they do separate, Sara catches sight of their cameraman, and the reminder that none of this is real is like a bucket of cold water on her libido.

Except… she’s not so sure it’s just libido. That would be easier.

Leonard is still quiet and a little off until they get back to the room, and then it feels like he’s waiting instead. Maybe he expects her to ask any or all of the questions she has, but really getting to know him is starting to feel more dangerous than sex would be. 

She goes to lie down on the bed, then notices there’s a bowl full of tiny papers where the brochures used to be, with an envelope propped up against the dish. When she picks up the envelope, there’s a tiny instruction on the outside, and she reads it aloud: “Set up camera and start filming before opening. Include the activity that follows.”

She supposes they haven’t been giving the cameras all that much to work with when they’re in their room.

Without comment, Leonard sets up the little tripod, adds their handheld camera, and points it at the bed, where Sara has sat down automatically. He sits down, too, getting comfortable atop the covers with his back against the headboard, and she follows suit before opening the envelope.

_ Hello, Newlyweds! _ __   
_ It’s important that you get to know your new spouse, so your homework for tonight is to take turns answering questions drawn from the bowl provided. Go back and forth until you’ve each answered at least three questions. You can skip and redraw no more than twice. _ _   
_ __ Enjoy getting to know each other!

Leonard reads over her shoulder, then glances at the camera before reading it out loud. Sara fights the urge to cross her arms.

Maybe Leonard didn’t like the ziplining, but this little bonding activity is raising all her red flags.

He looks at her, question obvious on his face, and she takes a breath and nods. If he could get through the whole zipline thing without a word of complaint, she can do this.

Besides, how bad could it be?

She grabs the bowl and draws first, pasting on a smile. “Okay, this one’s not bad. What’s your favorite color?”

“Blue,” he replies placidly. “Yours?”

“White. I know it’s not really a color,” she adds, countering an argument she hears too frequently, “but it’s my favorite anyway.”

He hums acknowledgment, then studies her a moment before leaning closer, so their arms are touching, and she unwinds a bit at the heat of him. She sees a hint of a soft smile before he turns abruptly and pulls another scrap of paper from the bowl. He stills before reading. “What’s your favorite sex position?”

Sara snorts despite herself at the unexpectedness of it after the first, innocent question, but it’s not something she particularly minds answering. “I like to be on top, whether I’m with a man or a woman.”

“I don’t have a favorite,” Leonard says, his voice just a touch rougher than usual, and it makes Sara swallow hard. “It depends on the person and the situation. Whatever makes it best for both of us.”

Sara looks away and grabs the bowl, and his low chuckle as he continues watching her is almost her undoing.

Almost.

She nearly winces when she sees the next question.

“Do you have any fears or phobias?”

“Pass,” Leonard says almost immediately. He doesn’t quite look at the camera, but it’s close enough that she figures he doesn’t want that recorded.

Sara nods and sets the question aside, drawing another. “What was your childhood home like?”

Leonard passes even quicker this time, and Sara swallows for a different reason this time as she remembers the faded scars that cover his back, the glimpse she got the day before. 

The next question is safer, at least. 

“If you could vacation anywhere in the world, where would you want to go?”

~*~*~

The rest of the questions go pretty smoothly, and then they get ready for sleep and get back in bed, and Leonard is staring up at the ceiling in the dark.

It’s not that the bed isn’t comfortable; the mattress is a magical combination of soft and supportive and probably cost the hotel a fortune. It’s that the day has left him particularly raw, and the woman next to him somehow makes it both better and worse.

The cameras are away, and he knows she’s still awake, too. He can feel it.

Sara confirms it when she speaks, softly, in a voice that tells him he is allowed to pretend he’s asleep if he doesn’t want to talk.

“You don’t like heights, do you? There was the airplane, then the zipline, and you said no to cliff jumping.”

Leonard breathes for several seconds as he decides whether to answer her, but in the end, he wants to tell her. He doesn’t have a reason for it, but he usually trusts his gut when it’s telling him something. 

“No, I don’t,” he answers. “I can deal with them if I have to.” He exhales again. “My dad is a piece of shit. Soon as I could walk, he started using me as a distraction or as bait, getting people to look where he wanted so he could commit a crime with nobody the wiser. I didn’t even know what was going on. When I got older, he gave me more active roles. Turning him down wasn’t an option. When I was twelve, an alarm went off while we were inside a building, warehouse type with tall ceilings. There was a high window. He pushed me out of it so I could distract the guards from trying to get in.” He rubs his forearm. “I landed badly, broke my arm. Could’ve been worse, but after falling that far, can’t say I’m a fan of situations where I feel like it might happen again.”

The bed moves and he hears Sara shift. She doesn’t reach out for him, which he’s grateful for in the moment, just turns to face him and gets closer. He can just make out her features in the dim light streaming in through the curtains.

Sara’s voice is careful, but not like she’s shocked, just like she’s trying not to scare him off. “How’d you go from growing up like that to working with Team Flash?”

“Have you met Barry?” Leonard growls. “He’s the most stubbornly optimistic person who’s ever lived. I was just as dirty as my father. Worse, even, because I was better at it than he ever was. But Barry believed I could change, and he believed it for long enough I started thinking maybe he was actually right and not just deluded.”

Sara sounds amused. “That’s Barry for you.” She rolls back so she’s staring up at the ceiling. “We need people like that sometimes. I wasn’t always a hero type, either. Still not sure I am.” It’s only been a few days since she tried to play coy about her role on Team Arrow, but she doesn’t seem to have the same reservations anymore.

He’d be lying to himself if he tried to pretend he has half as many barriers up as he did when they met, either.

Sara continues. “I know Star City’s heroes have always been a bit more vigilante than Central’s, but I still didn’t know how a former assassin could fit on the team. It’s hard sometimes, but they believe in me, like Barry does with you. It’s a blessing and a curse.”

Leonard makes sure his voice betrays nothing of the surprise he feels at this reveal about her past; she withheld any judgement about his, and the least he can do is offer the same in return. “How’d you go from assassin to vigilante?” Honestly, as much of a surprise as it is, it fits with the pieces he’s picked up from watching her: how in shape she is, how quiet, how aware. He’d bet his next big payout that she was damned good at it.

If he still  _ had _ big payouts, that is.

She chuckles. “Same as you. You had Barry. Laurel and Ollie, they believed I could do it.”

“Heroes,” he says with as much derision as he can manage, and she laughs.

They talk for a little while longer, sticking to lighter topics by unspoken agreement, and when Leonard falls asleep, it’s with a hint of a smile on his face.

~*~*~

Sara’s genuinely amazed at her self control over the rest of their honeymoon. They go on a local architecture tour, which might’ve normally bored her, but Leonard is genuinely interested, and it helps keep her interested and her mind out of the gutter. It’s a little more challenging to resist him on the “Taste of the Carribean” tour, when the cameraman asks them to feed each other, an activity that should be annoyingly cheesy but succeeds in bringing them into each other’s personal space.

Now, they’re packing the last of their things, the honeymoon over. She can probably let her guard down a little. Sara hums to herself as she finishes, zips up her suitcase, then flops dramatically onto the bed backward.

Leonard chuckles and sets his own already-closed suitcase next to the door, then puts hers next to it before he--much more calmly and more like an adult, damn him--lies down alongside her.

“We survived our honeymoon,” he says. He sounds amused, but there’s enough satisfaction in his voice that she takes a breath before turning her head to look at him. He’s close, and she’d only barely have to roll or scoot toward him and they’d be kissing.

Fuck. Maybe she shouldn’t have let her guard down yet.

He turns his head toward her, a slow, deliberate movement, and there’s a heat in his eyes that definitely isn’t safe. It was hard enough to resist when she didn’t even know him, but now? After they’ve spent these days together and the nights talking? After they’ve been so close and resisting for their entire  _ honeymoon _ when most people who are married and attracted to each other would be going at it the whole time?

Sara’s still watching him, and he’s still watching her. She swallows hard. She can be smart, she knows she can. She is not ruled by her hormones or even by whatever stupid genuine attraction she’s started to feel for him.

On the other hand, sometimes being smart is overrated.

“How long before we need to catch our ride to the airport?” she asks.

He follows her train of thought without any trouble; she can see it on his face. “Long enough. Are you sure?”

“Are you?” she counters. She’s learned that he rarely does anything on a whim. He can make choices quickly if the situation demands it, but he’s a planner, methodically so.

Leonard rolls onto his side, still facing her. “It will complicate things. This marriage is still another seven weeks, if we don’t continue it.”

She turns so she’s mirroring him. Between them, their hands are almost touching. “Honestly? I’m not going to make it another seven weeks for an official decision. Are you?”

Leonard looks her up and down in a thorough way that makes her breath catch. “Not if you’re willing.”

Holy hell is she willing. 

“If we’re not going to make it that long anyway,” she proposes, “it doesn’t really make sense to wait anymore, does it?”

He doesn’t answer. Instead, he reaches out and cups her cheek, surprisingly tender. The kiss that follows is less gentle. This has been building for way too long, and she responds just as thoroughly.

Sara gets caught up in the kiss enough that she forgets for a minute that she intends for it to go further, and she squeaks when he takes her hips, pulls her close, and rolls them so she’s on top of him. She sits up some with her hands on his shoulders, taking a break from the kissing for long enough to catch her breath and adjust to the new position. She rolls her hips experimentally and closes her eyes in pleasure at the friction, while Leonard’s fingers tighten on her waist.

Yeah, this isn’t going to last long. 

Sara opens her eyes and looks down at Leonard. “If we’re doing this anyway,” she says, “we’re gonna have to take our time at some point soon.” She leans down to press a quick, hard kiss to his lips. “But that’s not going to be today.”

She rolls her hips against him again, keeping her eyes open this time, soaking up the sight of him as he works to keep his control, his eyelids low.

“Partly because we’ll miss our flight if we go slow,” he says, and she smirks.

“Also because I’m horny as hell and don’t want to draw this out.” She leans forward, stretching over him until she can reach the bedside table, where she knows they were provided condoms. Leonard distracts her by caressing her chest as it hangs over his face, until she sits back down on him, condom in hand. She scowls down at their clothing; there’s far too much of it, and she wants him inside her right now.

Leonard chuckles, a husky sound that derails her thoughts entirely, then sits without dislodging her. In a smooth motion, he lifts her shirt off her. Sara rises so he can do the same for her shorts and underwear, lifting her legs out of the way while undoing her bra, and then she’s completely naked and Len is drinking in the sight of her. She smirks again, because yeah, confidence in her appearance isn’t a weakness, and reaches for the hem of his shirt.

Remembering his scars and how he tried to hide them earlier in the week, she pauses, waiting for his nod before she continues. She does have to move out of the way more than she likes to get his shorts off, but then all their clothes are out of the way. She reaches down and makes sure he’s hard enough for the condom, puts it on, and then slides down onto him without any further delay.

_ Fuck. _

Now that he’s inside of her, no more interruptions or excuses, some of the urgency has abated, at least for now. She moves slowly up and down him, reveling in the way he tenses and relaxes into her movements as they both build toward release. She skates her fingers along his chest, his abdomen, noting where he’s most sensitive and storing the information for later use.

Then he tilts his hips, changing the angle ever-so-slightly and making her see stars.

So much for slowing down.

Sara leans forward so her chest barely skims his, the friction against her nipples adding to her pleasure, and kisses him as she speeds up. His hands roam across her bare back, across her sides, along her ass, before finally settling and helping her with her movements, faster, harder, deeper until she shatters, orgasm slamming into her and taking him with it.

Sara lets herself rest against him as she recovers, and as his breathing settles, he resumes his slow stroking of her back, and the overwhelming contentment is enough to make her want to panic.

She holds it together, though. They’re quiet as they get dressed, helping each other get everything on straight. The gentleness he’s using to touch her is unsettling, like they’re already in love, like he  _ cherishes  _ her. He catches onto her unease after a minute, kisses her cheek and then settling into his normal self.

She wonders when his normal self became so appealing.

They make their flight, just barely, and when Leonard tenses up as they take off, Sara takes his hand without thinking about it.

There’s probably a lot she’s going to avoid thinking about over the next seven weeks.


End file.
